Grasping for hope
by CrashIntoMe
Summary: Maddie and Abbe are happier than they have ever been...will a telegram threaten to change it all? Sequel to Stolen Hearts


Madeline didn't have to pretend she was happy; her aura glowed as she skipped through the kitchen, bare feet against terracott

Madeline didn't have to pretend she was happy; her aura glowed as she skipped through the kitchen, bare feet against terracotta floors.  For the first time in her life, she was content, in the purest, most wonderful form; both loving and loved.  It was a liberating experience, far more moving than she had ever expected.  Her mind flashed briefly back to the Marquis as she breathed in the scent of thyme from the window box, basking in the midday sun.  It had been his favourite flavouring, well, he had once told her, other than perhaps the taste of her.  Typically lewd, typically  De Sade.  She shuddered as she remembered his cries as she left him, the almost inhuman screams of internal torture.  No, don't think about him, she warned herself, it'll just damage you.  

A smile spread across her full lips, and all thoughts of the Marquis left her head as she felt a soft yet powerful hand grasp her waist.  Leaning back into Abbe's arms, she turned her head to receive a soft kiss from him, pressing her body into his.

'Good afternoon my love' Abbe murmured into her hair, relishing in her scent, not of any perfume, just the unique smell of her.

'Mmm, good afternoon yourself' She smiled; turning towards him and pressing her lips to his in a gentle yet explosively passionate kiss.  It seemed to her that every time he touched her, he ignited an arsenal of fireworks in her body; her mind swam with erotic ardour as the kiss deepened, his tanned, muscular arms wrapping around her with the fervour of a first love.  She broke the kiss reluctantly and whispered into his ear, 'Don't you think it's a little early for making love?'

He kissed her gently, sweetly 'Its never too early, too late, any time is perfect when making love to you' he whispered, trailing kisses down to the soft creamy flesh of her neck.  Maddie moaned softly as the kisses moved to her chest, nuzzling between her breasts.  His hands pulled at the laces that bound her dress, and the heavy fabric fell to the floor, revealing her perfect, womanly form to his roaming, loving eyes, drinking in every curve.  His eyes met with hers, and she saw nothing but love, the purest love that she was certain was the most perfect on earth.  She smiled at him seductively, pulling at the buttons of his loose white shirt and throwing the dislodged garment over her shoulder.  In seeming seconds he had kicked off his trousers, leaving them both naked, bathed in streaks of sunlight through the wide windows of their cottage in the French countryside.

Since his priesthood had been denounced, Abbe had begun to work as a farmer, and the differences stretched beyond vocation, as Maddie could tell from his tanned, taut, muscular frame, slightly sweaty from work and passion, and all man.  Yet nothing captivated her so much as his eyes, glistening green pools of emotion that seemed deeper than the Atlantic itself.  God, she loved him, she loved everything he said, everything he did…her mind overflowed as she pulled him into an explosive kiss, their naked bodies entwining in the most heavenly of embraces.  She wanted to feel every inch of him upon her, inside her…touch all of him, both physically and mentally, and she knew without a doubt that he felt the same way about her.

Abbe's head span as Maddie pulled him down onto the soft lambskin rug, her soft lips kissing his neck, smooth hands roaming over warm skin…it was almost as if he was living in a dream, he couldn't believe that anyone could be this happy, certainly not a man such as himself.  As a young man, priesthood had been his calling, there was no doubt about that, but there had always been something holding him back.  The second he met Madeline, the second he fell in love with her, he understood.  It had been hell for him, the worst kind of hell, trapped in a limbo of emotion as he spent years trying to suppress his emerging feelings for the virginal laundry lass.  But now, oh it felt so good, every moment of his life seemed wrapped in a cocoon of love and strength, a hazy view of love that was likely distorting reality for him.  But for a change, he didn't care.  As he explored Madeline's soft flesh with roaming, loving hands, he thanked god with every fibre of his being for providing him with this love, a love for the ages shared between two of the most deserving people in the world, he was sure of that.

Madeline awoke in a haze, aware only of a soft bed below her, and Abbe's strong arms wrapped protectively around her nude flesh.  Planting a soft kiss on his nose, Maddie released herself from his grasp and wrapped a soft cotton robe around her body.  A knock at the door had woken broken her slumber, so she proceeded to the front step to find a telegram, lying face down on the cobbled stone paving.  The seal on the envelope bore an unmistakable mark and her breath caught in her throat as she recognised the waxy design…Charenton.  Swallowing her fear, she picked it up, dusted it off and tore the seal, revealing a telegram inside;

A note to all former employees/inmates of Charenton, 

The Marquis de Sade has passed on, due to unforeseen circumstances.  You are cordially invited to his wake at Charenton.  Sunday 14th June, at 3:00pm.  Please be prompt.

Regards, 

The Marquise de Sade

Abbe awoke with a start to a sob from Madeline.  What could be wrong?


End file.
